There is certainly reason to be unhappy with aspects of the
Legislature's budget. It cuts several programs deeply, takes a narrow
approach to raising additional revenue, and opted for a middle-class
tax cut at a time when the state can ill-afford the lost revenue.
On the other hand, the Legislature kept intact many of the core
programs that protect Vermont's environment, promote smart growth and
retain the social safety net, while minimizing the shift in the tax
burden to property taxpayers. They also scrapped a plan to raise
property taxes on landowners enrolled in the Current Use Program, a
wise move that will help Valley residents hold onto large tracts of
forest and farmland.
The governor, on the other hand, proposes to cut funding for the
Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, which supports affordable
housing, farmland and forestland conservation, to further dismantle
state agencies without a strategic plan to maintain or reduce services,
and to shift a significant amount of tax burden onto the property tax,
which will hit Valley property owners especially hard. At the same
time, the governor proposes a tax cut that targets the wealthy while
eliminating income sensitivity for a number of Valley property
taxpayers.
Next Tuesday, June 2, the Legislature will attempt to override the
governor's veto. I encourage all Valley residents to contact your state
representative and senator and encourage them to reject the governor's
draconian budget plan and enact a spending plan that better reflects
Vermont's values.
Brian Shupe
Waitsfield
{loadnavigation}
